Soccer Insider: July 4, 2010 - July 10, 2010

Diego Forlan's free kick on the final play of the game caromed off the crossbar, and Germany was able to secure third place in the World Cup with a 3-2 win over Uruguay. Sami Khedira's goal in the 82nd minute proved to be the game-winner....

Among the dignitaries scheduled to attend Sunday's match at Soccer City Stadium: South Africa President Jacob Zuma Presidents of 14 other African nations, including Robert Mugabe from Zimbabwe Former South African president Frederik De Klerk Archbishop Desmond Tutu Former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan Queen Sofia of Spain Actor Morgan...

Two more matches to go, starting today with Germany vs. Uruguay in the World Cup third-place match. Capsule preview of the match. Game stats here, in-game commentary here, shot chart here. poll by twiigs.com...

*While Planet Futbol's attention is acutely focused on Johannesburg ahead of Sunday's final, there is a match 660 miles away today in Port Elizabeth: Germany vs. Uruguay for third place (2:30 p.m. ET, ABC, Univision, ESPN Deportes) -- the second consecutive tournament in which the Germans have taken part in...

Some non-Paul the Psychic Octopus news. Those fears that the World Cup in South Africa would be beset by muggings, terrorist attacks, etc. Yeah, that didn't happen. Sad news: Associated Press writer Robert Millward passed away on Thursday in Johannesburg, apparently of natural causes. He was recognized by FIFA on...

UPDATED 11:42 A.M.: NOW WITH PAUL VIDEO RETROSPECTIVE Paul the Octopus has spoken, and he has come out for Spain in the World Cup final. No comment as of yet from Mani the Parakeet. Washington mega-chef and Spain enthusiast Jose Andres has Paul's back, taking his brethren off the menu...

FIFA's technical study group has announced the 10 finalists for the Golden Ball trophy, the MVP award to be presented after Sunday's championship match. Reporters covering the World Cup in South Africa will vote over the next few days. The nominees are: Uruguay F Diego Forlan, Ghana F Asamoah Gyan,...

Battling cold and cough, I found myself up at 3 a.m. here in Johannesburg --- coincidentally, when the Most Anticipated Moment in Sports History (this week, anyway) was unfolding: LeBron James announcing that he will join Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh at the Miami Heat. Sounds like the NBA's version...

Paul, the oracle octopus, is in hot water in his native Germany after picking Spain to beat Germany in the World Cup semifinals. Joining Paul is Mani, a bird in Singapore that has picked (pecked?) the Netherlands to defeat Spain in the World Cup final. Watch the shocking video: poll...

By Liz Clarke The 2010 World Cup will close Sunday evening much as it began: With Colombian pop star Shakira performing to a packed house, and former president Nelson Mandela's attendance the subject of intense speculation. A 30-minute Closing Ceremony will begin at 6:30 p.m. (12:30 p.m. ET) at Johannesburg's...

Just a few minutes before Spain-Germany kickoff, I was able to catch U.S. men's national team coach Bob Bradley to talk with him for an article on the future of the U.S. senior team that will run in the next few days. Toward the end of our conversation, I asked...

Spain and Germany meet for the right to face the Netherlands in the World Cup final. Game stats here, in-game commentary here, shot chart here. Live streaming video of the game can be found here. Who ya got, Spain or Germany? Vote here....

I figured to run into Clifton Broumand at some point during my six weeks in South Africa, and lo and behold, a few hours before the Germany-Spain semifinal at Moses Mabhida Stadium, there he was on the palm tree-lined walkway between the Indian Ocean and the glistening Durban venue. From...

By now you've all heard that Paul the oracle octopus, who's a perfect 5-0 in picking the winners of Germany's games in this World Cup, has chosen Spain to defeat Germany in today's semifinal. It's not the first time Paul's pick has drawn heat. When he chose Germany to defeat...

By Liz Clarke Arriving in South Africa on June 1, I was warned about the 200 Rand note, the largest and prettiest of the currency's denomination--worth about $28, with a spectactular Leopard on one side--because it's so frequently conterfeited that merchants and even banks refuse to accept them. I then...

By Liz Clarke Former U.N Secretary-General Kofi Annan has written a letter to Ghana's Black Stars, congratulating them for their quarterfinal showing in the World Cup and commending them on their dignity in the face of the goal-line handball that denied a game-winning goal against Uruguay. Annan, a native of...

Uruguay takes on the Netherlands today to determine the first World Cup finalist. Live box score here, in-game commentary here, shot chart here. Who do you think will win? Vote here. Live streaming video of the game here....

By Liz Clarke If you are ever on Jeopardy and the final answer is: "A country in which one can see both lions AND penguins in their natural habitat," the correct question is: "What is South Africa?". I wouldn't have known this had it not been for the 2010...

Oh Durban, where have you been my whole World Cup? I never made it to Cape Town (the San Francisco of Africa) or Nelspruit (the remote city on the edge of Kruger National Park). I spent too many days in bustling Johannesburg and too many hours on the road...

Hope everyone back home enjoyed the Fourth of July festivities. Landon Donovan and Edson Buddle certainly did. Days after returning from U.S. World Cup duty, the Los Angeles Galaxy duo partnered in the 19th minute to launch the Los Angeles Galaxy on its way to a 3-1 victory over the...

The Insider is a country boy at heart, so after 33 nights in bustling Johannesburg and irreparable damage to ear drum and disposition inflicted by the vuvuzela symphony, I plan a journey to Durban ahead of Wednesday's premier semifinal between Germany and Spain. The easy option is to fly;...